Centrifugal separating device and method of clarifying must during the production of wine

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a centrifugal separating device and method for clarifying must during wine production, especially with a separator ( 7 ). Gas and/or gelatine and/or other additives are added to the must that is clarified in the separating device after said must has passed through the separating device and before it passes through the constant pressure valve ( 13 ) of said separating device, as the must is discharged ( 9 ), in order to obtain flotation.

[0001] The invention relates to a centrifugal separating device for clarifying must m the production of wine, according to the preamble of claim 1, and to a method of clarifying must when producing wine, according to the preamble of claim 6.

[0002] The use of separators and decanters in the production of wine is described on Page 6 of the company publication with the title “Separators and Decanters Used by Wine Producers” of Westfalia Separator AG, Oelde, Germany, 1992. First, the grape nwsh is guided into a prejuicer. The prejuiced mash is then fed to a press. The starting product obtained in this manner will then—optionally after a sieving in a rotary brush sieve—be guided into a must tank. After the pressing, the must in the tank may also be fined, for example, by means of gelatin. After a dwell time in the tank, the must will then be guided into a clarifying separator and the clarified must is guided from the separator directly into-the fermentation tank.

[0003] An analogous process is known from the additional company publication by J. Hamatschek et al. with the title “Separators and Decanters for the Quality-Aware Preparation of Wine” of Westfalia Separator AG, Oelde, Germany, 1992.

[0004] Although the abovedescribed method of operation has been successful per se, there is demand for a further simplification and improvement of the clarification of must while the achieved quality of the wine is as good as possible. It is an object of the invention to solve these problems.

[0005] The invention solves these problems with respect to the separating device by means of the object of claim 1, thus by a flotation device—preferably connected into the discharge of the separating device—and supplementing the discharge.

[0006] With respect to the process, this problem is solved by means of the object of claim 6 in that the must clarified in the separating device, after passing through the separating device and before passing through the constant pressure valve of the separating device, is subjected in the discharge to an admixing of gas and/or gelatin and/or other additives for a flotation.

[0007] In the case of this approach, when the parameters are selected appropriately, on the one hand, the cloudiness, which remains suspended behind the separator, is removed in a considerable quantity by the flotation and, on the other hand, even solids which may be thrown off and which the separator has not separated, are floated.

[0008] Although the flotation of wine per se is naturally known, according to the prior art, flotation is used by itself for the clarification of must. In this conventional method of clarifying must, the must is pumped continuously by means of two equipment-pertaining pressure pumps by way of an input valve into a pressurized (up to 6 bar) impregnation vessel. In the forward current, gelatin and air are then continuously metered in by means of a metering pump. In the process, the must is enriched with gas. The must will then leave the pressure tank also continuously by way of the output valve. The must is guided into an intermediate vessel in which the flotation takes place so that the cloudiness rises to the liquid level. A compact amount of cloudiness is created with a large fraction of foam.

[0009] Within the scope of the invention, it was surprisingly found to be particularly advantageous to connect the flotation directly behind the separator or to combine the flotation directly with a separating clarification in the centrifugal field of the separator. Directly in front of the constant pressure valve, for example, sterile air and gelatin are metered into a static mixer or are guided by way of corresponding feeding pipes directly into the discharge. In this case, the high discharge pressure of from 5 to 6 bar, which is necessary for being able to dissolve oxygen in a sufficient quantity and in small bubbles in the product, can be utilized in the discharge from the separator.

[0010] The invention therefore combines a flotation method for the clarification of must with a clarification of must in the separator. This approach has a number of advantages.

[0011] Thus, the consumption of gelatin and air is approximately five times lower than in the case of conventional flotation methods because the majority of the solids were removed by the separator. Furthermore, approximately ten times less foam is formed than in the case of a flotation without a separator on the input side. A slightly fermented and cold must (10° C.), which is difficult to clarify by means of a conventional sole flotation, without any problems in the separator, can be clarified well by means of this flotation directly assigned to it (preferably connected on the output side) in the discharge.

[0012] However, the invention also has another important advantage. The separator can be operated at higher throughput capacities with a resulting less favorable degree of clarification because, when the flotation is connected on the output side, the remaining cloudiness is clearly reduced again. This results in a considerable saving of time.

[0013] As a result of the fact that the high discharge pressure existing in the discharge of the separator is utilized for the flotation, there is also the advantage that no expensive pressure pumps and pressurized containers are required. The investment costs are therefore reduced.

[0014] The installation of the separator also provides the possibility of a use in the clarification of new wine, for clarification racking, for the processing of cloudiness and for the separation of tartar.

[0015] Particularly preferably, the flotation device is connected into the discharge of the separating device or in front of its constant pressure valve and/or comprises a proportioning device for the feeding of air and/or gelatin and/or other additives into the clarified must drained off the separating device.

[0016] Additional advantageous embodiments of the invention are contained in the other subclaims.

[0017] In the following, the invention will be described in detail by means of various embodiments in reference to the drawing.

[0018]FIG. 1 is a view of a system having a separating device of the type of the invention; and

[0019]FIG. 2 is a flow chart for implementing the clarification of must during the production of wine while utilizing the system from FIG. 1.

[0020] According to FIG. 1, must is guided (pumped) from a tank 1 by way of a pipe 3 by means of a pump 5 into a clarification separator, where a clarification of the must takes place in the centrifugal field. The solids are discharged from the clarification separator by way of the solids throughput 25.

[0021] The must clarified in the clarification separator is guided by way of a discharge 9 into a relaxation tank 11 in front of which a constant pressure valve 13 is connected. A flotation device 15 leads into the discharge 9, which flotation device 15 permits the proportioned feeding of air and/or gelatin into the discharge area directly in front of the constant pressure valve 13. The flotation device comprises a gelatin tank 17 from which, by way of a pump 19 and lines 21 a as well as a mixer 23, the gelatine and or, by way of additional pipes 21 b and by way of the mixer 23, gas and/or other substances can be introduced into the discharge 9. The feeding of the air and of the gelatin into the discharge 9 preferably takes place by way of a static mixer (not shown here).

[0022] During the flotation, preferably 1 to 4 g/hl gelatin, preferably 2 to 3 g/hl gelatin and 60-70 l/m³ air, are added to the must.

[0023] From the relaxation tank 11, the must is drained off in the downward direction through a pipe 27 so that foam developing above a separation layer clearly forming in the tank 11 after the flotation remains in the tank 11.

[0024] The foam, which forms and rises as a result of the relaxation in the tank 11, is absolutely stable because of the floated solids and forms a clear separation layer with respect to the clear phase, so that the separation of the cloudiness from the clear must at the end of the discharge is possible virtually “precisely to a point”. The stable foam, which remains in the tank 11, is flushed out because the cloudiness is so dry that another processing of the cloudiness is not necessary. In the case of this method, the clear phase can be withdrawn in a clean manner to the clear separation layer.

[0025]FIG. 2 illustrates the incorporation of the method according to the invention into the wine production. Optionally, a preclarification of the must can be implemented by means of a decanter. The solids drained off from the decanter and/or a pump and/or the separator are separately processed and/or disposed of.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0026] Tank 1

[0027] pipe 3

[0028] pump 5

[0029] clarification separator 7

[0030] discharge 9

[0031] relaxation tank 11

[0032] constant pressure valve 13

[0033] flotation device 15

[0034] gelatin tank 17

[0035] pump 19

[0036] pipes 2 1

[0037] mixer 23

[0038] solids throughput 25

[0039] line 27 

1. Centrifugal separating device, particularly a separator, for the clarification of must in the production of wine, having a discharge, into which a valve, particularly a constant pressure valve, is connected, which separating device has a flotation device (15), characterized in that the flotation device is connected in the discharge (9) of the separating device in front of the constant pressure valve (13).
 2. Separating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the flotation device has a mixing and/or proportioning device for feeding gas and/or gelatin and/or other additives into the clarified must drained from the separating device (7).
 3. Separating device according to claim 2, characterized in that the mixing and/or proportioning device is a static mixer (23).
 4. Separating device according to claim 2, characterized in that the flotation device is constructed as a direct pipe feeder into the discharge (9).
 5. Method of clarifying must when producing wine by means of a centrifugal separating device, particularly by means of a separator in whose discharge a valve, particularly a constant pressure valve, is connected, characterized in that the must clarified in the separating device, after passing through the separating device and before passing through the constant pressure valve of the separating device, in the discharge, is subjected to an admixing of gas and/or gelatine and/or other additives for a flotation.
 6. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that the gas and/or the gelatin and/or the other additives are proportioned into a static mixer directly in front of the constant pressure valve.
 7. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that 1 to 4 g/hl gelatin are added to the must during the flotation.
 8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that 2 to 3 g/hl gelatin are added to the must during the flotation.
 9. Method according to one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that 60-70 l/m³ air are added to the must during the flotation.
 10. Method according to one of claims 5 to 9, characterized in that, after the flotation, the must is fed into a relaxation tank.
 11. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that the must is drained out downward from the relaxation tank so that foam forming above a separation layer remains in the tank. 